Ehud Olmert Reveals 2008 Two-State Solution Map

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has unveiled a previously unseen map proposing a two-state solution in 2008, which would have created a Palestinian state on over 94% of the occupied West Bank, with Israel annexing major Jewish settlement blocs in exchange for an equal amount of Israeli territory.

The map, drawn up by Olmert, shows the territory Israel would have annexed, including major Jewish settlement blocs, in exchange for an equal amount of Israeli territory along the edges of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The plan also proposed a solution to the Jerusalem issue, with each side claiming parts of the city as their capital and a committee of trustees administering the "holy basin." Olmert presented the map to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in 2008, but Abbas refused to sign it, citing the need to show it to his experts.

The proposal would have allowed Israel to annex 4.9% of the West Bank, with the remaining territory divided between the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The plan also envisioned a divided Jerusalem, with both Israel and a Palestinian state claiming parts of the city as their capital, and the Old City and nearby religious sites under the administration of a committee of trustees. Olmert's revelation is part of a documentary series, and he said that he believed it was the first time he was exposing the map to the media.

The map has since become a symbol of missed opportunities to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Olmert's plan was abandoned after he announced his resignation and was replaced by Benjamin Netanyahu, a vocal opponent of Palestinian statehood. The revelation of the map has sparked renewed interest in the possibility of a two-state solution, with many wondering what could have been if the plan had been implemented.